Table 1 Patients' background factors

n

153

94

59

Age (years)

64.6 ± 14.2

65.4 ± 15.1

63.4 ± 12.6

0.394^a

Gender (male)

109 (71.2%)

74 (78.7%)

35 (59.3%)

< 0.01^b

Medical/surgical, medical

57 (37.2%)

36 (38.3%)

21 (35.6%)

0.736^b

Diabetes mellitus

41 (26.8%)

24 (25.5%)

17 (28.8%)

0.656^b

On ICU admission

   APACHE II score

23.5 ± 7.0

22.5 ± 7.1

25.2 ± 6.6

0.018^a

   SOFA score

8.2 ± 3.5

7.8 ± 3.7

8.7 ± 3.1

0.109^a

   White blood cells (/mm³)

14,300 ± 10,300

15,100 ± 10,800

13,000 ± 9,500

0.218^a

   C-reactive protein (mg/dl)

19.5 ± 10.0

18.6 ± 9.8

20.8 ± 10.3

0.203^a

   Lactate (mg/dl)

3.8 ± 2.8

3.4 ± 2.8

4.4 ± 2.8

0.035^a

   IL-6 (pg/ml)

13,800 ± 48,800

5,350 ± 13,800

27,200 ± 75,100

< 0.0001^a

Type of sepsis

< 0.001^b

   Sepsis

30 (19.6%)

27 (28.7%)

3 (5.1%)

   Severe sepsis

86 (56.2%)

56 (59.6%)

30 (50.8%)

   Septic shock

37 (24.2%)

11 (11.7%)

26 (44.1%)

Primary source of infection

0.276^b

   Central nervous system

5 (3.3%)

2 (2.1%)

3 (5.1%)

   Neck/mediastinum

19 (12.4%)

11 (11.7%)

8 (13.6%)

   Lung

45 (29.4%)

33 (35.1%)

12 (20.2%)

   Abdomen

47 (30.7%)

25 (26.6%)

22 (37.3%)

   Urinary tract

16 (10.5%)

8 (8.5%)

8 (13.6%)

   Bones/joints/soft tissue

12 (7.8%)

7 (7.4%)

5 (8.5%)

   Others

9 (5.9%)

8 (8.5%)

1 (1.7%)

Implementation of enteral nutrition within 7 days

89 (58.2%)

55 (58.5%)

34 (58.2%)

0.914^b

Start of enteral nutrition after ICU admission (days)

3.5 ± 2.1

3.7 ± 2.1

3.3 ± 2.1

0.446